A plate of processed food with a red warning sign

Are Processed Foods Putting Your Dental Health at Risk?

CLINICAL CONTENT WRITTEN & REVIEWED BY CLOVE CLINICAL TEAM

Last Modified: July 3, 2023

FACT CHECKED

Most people have learned to brush and floss, being mindful of sugary drinks and snacks. But one that seems often ignored is the power of processed foods in relation to dental health. Processed foods sit at every McDonald’s corner, and even in your grocer’s snack aisle; yet these may be more demonically destructive than imagined.

The more ‘processed’ ones are full of sugar, salts, and unhealthy fats, and these can wreak havoc on our mouth. Sugar is a biggie. Whenever we go for consuming sugary foodstuffs, the bacteria found in our mouths feed on the sugar and, through producing acid, bite into the enamel of our teeth further causing cavities. However, that’s not all. And secondly, processed foods can be acidic; and frequent consumption of acids can wear out your teeth. Are Processed Foods a Danger to Your Oral Health? There you go, because there is. It’s time to pay attention to what we eat.

The Effect of Processed Food on the Teeth

Be cautious of stealthy enemies lurking in your processed foods! Sugars and acids embedded in sweets, chutneys, and pickles can create fertile ground in your mouth for no-good bacteria
Processed foods can affect the health of your teeth due to its high sugar and acidic levels.
Consumption of sugar and acids increases the harmful bacteria within the mouth where those acids will be formed, eat away at the enamel of the teeth, or cause decay.
Some of those dangerous processed foods to oral health include sweets such as Indian ladoos and rasgullas and peda, very sugar-rich foods besides all those chutneys containing tamarind or other acidic ingredients which are acid-rich.
Pickles are rich in salts, hence leading to dehydration and dry mouth; therefore, it is an increased risk to tooth decay.
Sodium-rich instant noodles also lead to dehydration, which can negatively affect dental conditions because it reduces the saliva production within the mouth.
Packaged snacks, including chips and crackers, are high in carbohydrates, which often linger in the mouth, helping the multiplication of harmful bacteria within the mouth; therefore, leading to tooth decay.
Choose healthier snack alternatives, low in sugar, acid, and salt. These will help prevent dental decay.

4 Easy Ways to Ditch Processed Foods and Eat Healthier Today!

Do you want general health and well-being? One of the best steps you can take is reducing the number of processed foods consumed. Not only can this be a possible weight management aid and maintaining healthy dental status, but it also reduces the risk of chronic diseases and increases energy levels.

Here are some practical yet easy-to-do tips in helping make that transition:

Cooking at home and deciding what goes into your meal.
Reading food labels and steering clear of artificial additives, preservatives, and high sugar content and salt.
Whole foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds for healthier snack and meals.
Plan your meals in advance to keep on track and ensure there is indeed more incorporation of whole foods.